Testing in Texas : the influence of accountability on elementary science in one small town

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to look at the impact of testing on the science at the elementary level since the implementation of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test for science at the fifth grade level. This was an ethnographic study that focused on this influence at a specific rural elementary school in Texas. While the impact of testing in prevalent, its effects on science instruction are limited. Through observation, interviews, and the collection of teacher lesson plans, a themes other than testing emerged. Teachers at this rural elementary school identify more pressing challenges in the form of time, planning, and materials with regards to science